The present invention relates to semiconductor structures and, more specifically, to methods of forming field effect transistors (FETs) using a gate cut process following final gate formation in order to allow for an increase in device density.
Generally, at least one goal for designing new integrated circuits is to increase device density. However, with conventional methods of forming field effect transistors (FETs), the ability to increase device density is limited due to requirements for gate-to-gate spacing as well as semiconductor body-to-semiconductor body spacing. Specifically, during conventional FET processing, adjacent gates (e.g., gates in end-to-end alignment) are typically spaced some fixed minimum predetermined distance apart in order to avoid subsequent processing-induced shorting between the gates, thereby limiting an increase in device density. Similarly, adjacent semiconductor bodies (e.g., semiconductor bodies, such as semiconductor fins, in end-to-end alignment) must be spaced some fixed minimum predetermined distance apart in order to avoid shorting, thereby also limiting an increase in device density. Therefore, there is a need in the art for improved methods of forming FETs that allow the spacing between gates and/or the spacing between semiconductor bodies to be decreased and that, thereby allow for an increase in device density.